#DTNT for social media – be consistent

This is the last in my series on #DTNT (Do This, Not That) on #SM (social media/networking) … at least for now. The first in the series is “mean or nice” and you can click-through the rest of the series from there. I hope you’ll add to the conversation by posting your comments, questions, and disagreements below.

…not this…

Some people — notably musicians, but many others, too — post the same update message repeatedly. Or a small (2-10) series of updates over and over. Usually, they take the form of self-promotion or something that’s even more self-absorbed. It’s fine to talk about yourself. You have to market yourself. But find some other stuff to talk about, too. Besides helping your social networking, it will make your life more interesting. 🙂

…or this…

@muz4now I saw your FB post… Should I give you more? 🙂 “Don’t post once or twice and then abandon a social media profile for weeks.”

— Solveig Whittle (@shadesofsolveig) August 25, 2014

What Solveig said is so true. People with no updates on Twitter for four weeks are usually gone for good. Some other social sites can be more sporadic, but consistency is the key if you want to keep a fan base .

Do This

So, be consistent in your updates. If you decide to post an update once or twice a day, do that. If you want to post every hour (this can be done on on Twitter, but is considered an annoyance by many on FaceBook), do that. Be really cautious about cross-posting the exact same updates on all your social media at the exact same time. Instead, mix them up or post completely separately to each site.

Obviously, it’s important to fill out your about/bio sections on each of your social networks. Include a fun or candid avatar and banner picture depending on your style, etc. And then start your consistent postings.

Some tools that may be helpful in keeping consistent are:

IFTTT – If This, Then That is a handy tool for notifying yourself about stuff or posting things to your social media when certain things happen (like when you post a blog, for example). At this time, there is no charge for the services of IFTTT.

BufferApp – Helps you by spacing out your Twitter, Google+, LinkedIN, and FaceBook streams with either manual or pre-scheduled times for your updates. There is a free and paid option.

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9 comments

Hey, Stan, I’ve noticed that somehow you’ve eliminated the Like button from your site. Would you reconsider it? I find it a very practical way of offering support to your posts, which are intelligent and thoughtful. I see that there are other options, like sharing it on Twitter and so on, but the easiest, and probably most effective, way of showing that someone has read the post is still the Like button. Just a thought. All the best. Wesley

Man! I sooooo appreciate your support and certainly did not intend for the Like button to go away. Looks like it was a conflict with another plug-in which I’ve now resolved. In other words, you should see the Like button here again. Definitely let me know if you don’t. Thanks for your support and for the lively content on your blog.

Stan – Forgive my tardy commentary, but I love this list of tools in this post. Very helpful! No question in my own experience with social media that persistence and consistency are the biggest challenge. As with every relationship, committing to being present – to showing up even when it’s not exciting anymore, or you don’t feel well, or you feel overwhelmed – that’s not easy! Social media takes time, and I think a lot of people expect results right away (like a viral video on YouTube). If it doesn’t happen right away, you tend to feel like you’re talking to an empty room. But if you stay positive. try different things and keep at it, you will see engagement over time. I think you are a stellar example, Stan, and I continue to learn from you!